Selasa, 03 Desember 2013

Future Cars: 2016 BMW 5-Series

The all-new seventh-generation BMW 5-series has been spotted testing for the first time.

These
intial road-going prototypes reveal that development on the new
5-series has advanced beyond the initial computer simulation phase. The
new executive contender is slated for sale in the UK by the end of 2016.

The
mid-range model has been comprehensively redesigned for its 44th year
of production with a sophisticated new platform, a wider choice of
petrol, diesel and hybrid powerplants and new 48-volt electrical
architecture.

While the heavily clad mules pictured here provide few clues as to the look of the new 5-series, BMW bosses say it will adopt a sleeker appearance than today’s model, with clear influences from the Gran Lusso Coupé concept shown at Ville d’Este in April.

As
durability testing begins on public roads, the car’s aero properties
are also being trialled on full-scale models in a state-of-the-art wind
tunnel at BMW’s Munich R&D centre.

Unconfirmed reports suggest
entry-level versions of the next 5-series saloon will boast a Cd of
0.24, bettering the 0.25 figure of today’s 520i (on standard 225/55 R17
tyres) and the latest Mercedes-Benz E-class, which is itself set to be succeeded by an all-new model in 2016.

As
with today’s hugely successful sixth-gen model, BMW is readying the new
5-series in saloon, Touring and GT body styles — the latter being set
to retain its liftback design and continue to ride on an
extended-wheelbase platform shared with the Chinese-market 5-series.

The
new car’s sophisticated platform is known under the internal codename
OKL (Oberklasse, or ‘luxury class’). It has been conceived to underpin
all high-end BMW models that use a longitudinally mounted engine,
including future 5, 6 and 7-series models.

Various facets of the new platform will also be seen in future generations of the X5, X6 and long-mooted X7, a range-topping SUV that’s set to challenge the likes of the Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GL and upcoming Bentley Falcon, according to sources involved in developing the 5-series.

The
new platform’s structure has been designed to support a range of
wheelbases as well as different track widths, providing increased
production flexibility. It uses a combination of aluminium, hot-formed
high-strength steel and composite carbonfibre parts to reduce weight
below the 1595kg mark of the six-speed manual version of today’s 520i
saloon, while bettering it for rigidity.